U.S. patent application number 13/630463 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-04 for device, method, and storage medium storing program.
This patent application is currently assigned to KYOCERA CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is KYOCERA CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Sanae NISHIO, Katsuaki OONISHI, Tomohiro SHIMAZU, Kazuya TAKEMOTO, Naoyuki TAMAI.
Application Number | 20130082959 13/630463 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47992097 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130082959 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHIMAZU; Tomohiro ; et
al. |
April 4, 2013 |
DEVICE, METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM
Abstract
According to an aspect, a device includes a touch screen display
and a controller. The touch screen display displays a home screen.
The controller displays information for specifying a person in a
first area of the home screen, and displays a list of information
for specifying communication services used by a person specified by
the information displayed in the first area in a second area of the
home screen.
Inventors: |
SHIMAZU; Tomohiro; (Osaka,
JP) ; TAKEMOTO; Kazuya; (Osaka, JP) ; TAMAI;
Naoyuki; (Osaka, JP) ; NISHIO; Sanae;
(Yokohama-shi, JP) ; OONISHI; Katsuaki;
(Yokohama-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KYOCERA CORPORATION; |
Kyoto |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
KYOCERA CORPORATION
Kyoto
JP
|
Family ID: |
47992097 |
Appl. No.: |
13/630463 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/173 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/2757 20200101;
G06F 3/0481 20130101; H04M 1/72583 20130101; H04M 1/27453 20200101;
G06F 3/04886 20130101; G06F 1/1613 20130101; G06F 3/04842
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/173 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/041 20060101
G06F003/041 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 30, 2011 |
JP |
2011-216848 |
Sep 27, 2012 |
JP |
2012-215178 |
Claims
1. A device comprising: a touch screen display for displaying a
home screen; and a controller configured to display information for
specifying a person in a first area of the home screen, and display
a list of information for specifying communication services used by
a person specified by the information displayed in the first area
in a second area of the home screen.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to execute a function for using a selected service when
an operation for selecting one of the communication services is
detected in the second area.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to display the number of events to be notified, among
events performed by the person specified by the information
displayed in the first area using the communication service, in the
second area for each communication service.
4. The device according to claim 3, wherein, when an operation for
selecting one of the communication services is detected in the
second area, the controller is configured to execute a first
function for using the selected service in a case where the number
of events to be notified corresponding to the selected service is
zero, and execute a second function for using the selected service
in a case where the number of events to be notified corresponding
to the selected service is one or more.
5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the first function is
for making contact with the person specified by the information
displayed in the first area, and the second function is for
checking the events to be notified.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to further provide a third area for displaying
information for specifying each of a plurality of persons, and
display, when an operation of selecting a person displayed in the
third area is detected, information for specifying the person
selected in the third area in the first area
7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the controller is
configured to change the number of communication services included
in the list displayed in the second area according to the person
selected in the third area.
8. A method for controlling a device including a touch screen
display, the method comprising: displaying a home screen on the
touch screen display; displaying information for specifying a
person in a first area of the home screen; and displaying a list of
information for specifying communication services used by a person
specified by the information displayed in the first area in a
second area of the home screen.
9. A non-transitory storage medium storing therein a program for
causing, when executed by a device including a touch screen
display, the device to execute: displaying a home screen on the
touch screen display; displaying information for specifying a
person in a first area of the home screen; and displaying a list of
information for specifying communication services used by a person
specified by the information displayed in the first area in a
second area of the home screen.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Application
No. 2011-216848, filed on Sep. 30, 2011, and Japanese Application
No. 2012-215178, filed on Sep. 27, 2012, the contents of which are
incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present application relates to a device, a method, and a
storage medium storing therein a program. More particularly, the
present application relates to a device including a touch screen
display, a method of controlling the device, and a storage medium
storing therein a program for controlling the device.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A touch screen device having a touch screen display has been
known. Examples of the touch screen devices include, but are not
limited to, a smartphone and a tablet. The touch screen device
detects a gesture of a finger, a pen, or a stylus pen through the
touch screen display. Then, the touch screen device operates
according to the detected gesture. An example of the operation
according to the detected gesture is described in, for example,
International Publication Pamphlet No. 2008/086302.
[0006] The basic operation of the touch screen device is
implemented by an operating system (OS) built into the device.
Examples of the OS built into the touch screen device include, but
are not limited to, Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Symbian OS, and
Windows Phone.
[0007] Many of touch screen devices is used for accessing various
communication service. Therefore, there is a need for a device, a
method, and a program that allow the user to easily access
communication service.
SUMMARY
[0008] According to an aspect, a device includes a touch screen
display and a controller. The touch screen display displays a home
screen. The controller displays information for specifying a person
in a first area of the home screen, and displays a list of
information for specifying communication services used by a person
specified by the information displayed in the first area in a
second area of the home screen.
[0009] According to another aspect, a method is for controlling a
device including a touch screen display. The method includes:
displaying a home screen on the touch screen display; displaying
information for specifying a person in a first area of the home
screen; and displaying a list of information for specifying
communication services used by a person specified by the
information displayed in the first area in a second area of the
home screen.
[0010] According to another aspect, a non-transitory storage medium
stores therein a program. When executed by a device including a
touch screen display, the program cases the device to execute:
displaying a home screen on the touch screen display; displaying
information for specifying a person in a first area of the home
screen; and displaying a list of information for specifying
communication services used by a person specified by the
information displayed in the first area in a second. area of the
home screen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a smartphone according to an
embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the smartphone;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a back view of the smartphone;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home
screen;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the smartphone;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of contact
data;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of group
data;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a contact
widget;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of using
communication service through the contact widget;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to
change a person displayed in a detailed information area;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of scrolling a
member list displayed in a member list area;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to
change a group displayed in the member list area;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation
for editing group data;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation
for editing contact data; and
[0025] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a procedure for displaying and
updating the contact widget.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be
explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying
drawings. A smartphone will be explained below as an example of a
device provided with a touch screen display.
[0027] An overall configuration of a smartphone 1 according to an
embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG.
3. As illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the smartphone 1 includes a
housing 20. The housing 20 includes a front face 1A, a back face
1B, and side faces 1C1 to 1C4. The front face 1A is a front of the
housing 20. The back face 1B is a back of the housing 20. The side
faces 1C1 to 1C4 are sides each connecting the front face 1A and
the back face 1B. Hereinafter, the side faces 1C1 to 1C4 may be
collectively called "side face 1C" without being specific to any of
the side faces.
[0028] The smartphone 1 includes a touch screen display 2, buttons
3A to 3C, an illumination (ambient light) sensor 4, a proximity
sensor 5, a receiver 7, a microphone 8, and a camera 12, which are
provided in the front face 1A. The smartphone 1 includes a camera
13, which is provided in the back face 1B. The smartphone 1
includes buttons 3D to 3F and a connector 14, which are provided in
the side face 1C. Hereinafter, the buttons 3A to 3F may be
collectively called "button 3" without being specific to any of the
buttons.
[0029] The touch screen display 2 includes a display 2A and a touch
screen 2B. In the example of FIG. 1, each of the display 2A and the
touch screen 2B is approximately rectangular-shaped; however, the
shapes of the display 2A and the touch screen 2B are not limited
thereto. Each of the display 2A and the touch screen 2B may have
any shape such as a square, a circle or the like. In the example of
FIG. 1, the display 2A and the touch screen 2B are arranged in a
superimposed manner; however, the manner in which the display 2A
and the touch screen 2B are arranged is not limited thereto. The
display 2A and the touch screen 2B may be arranged, for example,
side by side or apart from each other. In the example of FIG. 1,
longer sides of the display 2A are along with longer sides of the
touch screen 2B respectively while shorter sides of the display 2A
are along with shorter sides of the touch screen 2B respectively;
however, the manner in which the display 2A and the touch screen 2B
are superimposed is not limited thereto. In case the display 2A and
the touch screen 2B are arranged in the superimposed manner, they
can be arranged such that, for example, one or more sides of the
display 2A are not along with any sides of the touch screen 2B.
[0030] The display 2A is provided with a display device such as a
liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescence
display (OELD), or an inorganic electro-luminescence display
(IELD). The display 2A displays text, images, symbols, graphics,
and the like.
[0031] The touch screen 2B detects a contact of a finger, a pen, a
stylus pen, or the like on the touch screen 2B. The touch screen 2B
can detect positions where a plurality of fingers, pens, stylus
pens, or the like make contact with the touch screen 2B. In the
description herein below, a finger, pen, stylus pen, and the like
may be referred to as a "contact object" or an "object".
[0032] The detection method of the touch screen 2B may be any
detection methods, including but not limited to, a capacitive type
detection method, a resistive type detection method, a surface
acoustic wave type (or ultrasonic type) detection method, an
infrared type detection method, an electro magnetic induction type
detection method, and a load sensing type detection method. In the
description herein below, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed
that the user uses his/her finger(s) to make contact with the touch
screen 2B in order to operate the smartphone 1.
[0033] The smartphone 1 determines a type of a gesture based on at
least one of a contact detected by the touch screen 2B, a position
where the contact is detected, a change of a position where the
contact is detected, an interval between detected contacts, and the
number of detection times of the contact. The gesture is an
operation performed on the touch screen 2B. Examples of the
gestures determined by the smartphone 1 include, but are not
limited to, touch, long touch, release, swipe, tap, double tap,
long tap, drag, flick, pinch in, and pinch out.
[0034] "Touch" is a gesture in which a finger makes contact with
the touch screen 2B. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which
the finger makes contact with the touch screen 2B as touch. "Long
touch" is a gesture in which a finger makes contact with the touch
screen 2B for longer than a given time. The smartphone 1 determines
a gesture in which the finger makes contact with the touch screen
2B for longer than a given time as long touch.
[0035] "Release" is a gesture in which a finger separates from the
touch screen 2B. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which the
finger separates from the touch screen 2B as release. "Swipe" is a
gesture in which a finger moves on the touch screen 2B with
continuous contact thereon. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture
in which the finger moves on the touch screen 2B with continuous
contact thereon as swipe.
[0036] "Tap" is a gesture in which a touch is followed by a
release. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which a touch is
followed by a release as tap. "Double tap" is a gesture such that a
gesture in which a touch is followed by a release is successively
performed twice. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture such that a
gesture in which a touch is followed by a release is successively
performed twice as double tap.
[0037] "Long tap" is a gesture in which a long touch is followed by
a release. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which a long
touch is followed by a release as long tap. "Drag" is a gesture in
which a swipe is performed from an area where a movable-object is
displayed. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which a swipe
is performed from an area where the movable-object displayed as
drag.
[0038] "Flick" is a gesture in which a finger separates from the
touch screen 2B while moving after making contact with the touch
screen 2B. That is, "Flick" is a gesture in which a touch is
followed by a release accompanied with a movement of the finger,
The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which the finger separates
from the touch screen 2B while moving after making contact with the
touch screen 2B as flick. The flick is performed, in many cases,
with a finger moving along one direction. The flick includes
"upward flick" in which the finger moves upward on the screen,
"downward flick" in which the finger moves downward on the screen,
"rightward flick" in which the finger moves rightward on the
screen, and "leftward flick" in which the finger moves leftward on
the screen, and the like. Movement of the finger during the flick
is, in many cases, quicker than that of the finger during the
swipe.
[0039] "Pinch in" is a gesture in which a swipe with a plurality of
fingers is performed in a direction to move the fingers toward each
other. The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which the distance
between a position of one finger and a position of another finger
detected by the touch screen 2B becomes shorter as pinch in. "Pinch
out" is a gesture in which a swipe with a plurality of fingers is
performed in a direction to move the fingers away from each other.
The smartphone 1 determines a gesture in which the distance between
a position of one finger and a position of another finger detected
by the touch screen 2B becomes longer as pinch out.
[0040] In the description herein below, a gesture performed by
using a finger may be referred to as a "single touch gesture", and
a gesture performed by using a plurality of fingers may be referred
to as a "multi touch gesture". Examples of the multi touch gesture
include a pinch in and a pinch out. A tap, a flick, a swipe, and
the like are a single touch gesture when performed by using a
finger, and are a multi touch gesture when performed by using a
plurality of fingers.
[0041] The smartphone 1 performs operations according to these
gestures which are determined through the touch screen 2B.
Therefore, user-friendly and intuitive operability is achieved. The
operations performed by the smartphone 1 according to the
determined gestures may be different depending on the screen
displayed on the display 2A. In the following explanation, for the
sake of simplicity of explanation, the fact that the touch screen
detects the contact(s) and then the smartphone determines the type
of the gesture as X based on the contact(s) may be simply described
as "the smartphone detects X" or "the controller detects X".
[0042] An example of the screen displayed on the display 2A will be
explained below with reference to FIGS. 4. FIG. 4 represents an
example of a home screen. The home screen may also be called
"desktop", "standby screen", "idle screen", or "standard screen".
The home screen is displayed on the display 2A. The home screen is
a screen allowing the user to select which one of applications
(programs) installed in the smartphone 1 is executed. The
smartphone 1 executes the application selected on the home screen
in the foreground. The screen of the application executed in the
foreground is displayed on the display 2A.
[0043] Icons can be arranged on the home screen of the smartphone
1. A plurality of icons 50 are arranged on a home screen 40
illustrated in FIG. 4. Each of the icons 50 is previously
associated with an application installed in the smartphone 1. When
detecting a gesture for an icon 50, the smartphone 1 executes the
application associated with the icon 50 for which the gesture is
detected. For example, when detecting a tap on an icon 50
associated with a mail application, the smartphone 1 executes the
mail application.
[0044] The icons 50 include an image and a character string. The
icons 50 may contain a symbol or a graphic instead of an image. The
icons 50 do not have to include either one of the image and the
character string. The icons 50 are arranged based on a layout
pattern. A wall paper. 41 is displayed behind the icons 50. The
wall paper may sometimes be called "photo screen", "back screen",
"idle image", or "background image". The smartphone 1 can use an
arbitrary image as the wall paper 41. The smartphone 1 may be
configured so that the user can select an image to be displayed as
the wall paper 41.
[0045] The smartphone 1 can include a plurality of home screens.
The smartphone 1 determines, for example, the number of home
screens according to setting by the user. The smartphone 1 displays
a selected one on the display 2A even if there is a plurality of
home screens.
[0046] The smartphone 1 displays an indicator to locator) 51 on the
home screen. The indicator 51 includes one or more symbols. The
number of the symbols is the same as that of the home screens. In
the indicator 51, a symbol corresponding to a home screen that is
currently displayed is displayed in a different manner from that of
symbols corresponding to the other home screens.
[0047] The indicator 51 in an example illustrated in FIG. 4
includes four symbols. This means the number of home screens is
four. According to the indicator 51 in the example illustrated in
FIG. 4, the second symbol from the left is displayed in a different
manner from that of the other symbols. This means that the second
home screen from the left is currently displayed.
[0048] The smartphone 1 can change a home screen to be displayed on
the display 2A. When a gesture is detected while displaying one of
home screens, the smartphone 1 changes the home screen to be
displayed on the display 2A to another one. For example, when
detecting a rightward flick, the smartphone 1 changes the home
screen to be displayed on the display 2A to a home screen on the
left side. For example, when detecting a leftward flick, the
smartphone 1 changes the home screen to be displayed on the display
2A to a home screen on the right side. The smartphone 1 changes the
home screen to be displayed on the display 2A from a first home
screen to a second home screen, when a gesture is detected while
displaying the first home screen, such that the area of the first
home screen displayed on the display 2A gradually becomes smaller
and the area of the second home screen displayed gradually becomes
larger. The smartphone 1 may switch the home screens such that the
first home screen is instantly replaced by the second home
screen.
[0049] An area 42 is provided along the top edge of the display 2A.
Displayed on the area 42 are a remaining mark 43 indicating a
remaining amount of a power supply and a radio-wave level mark 44
indicating an electric field strength of radio wave for
communication. The smartphone 1 may display time, weather, an
application during execution thereof, a type of communication
system, a status of a phone call, a mode of the device, an event
occurring in the device, and the like in the area 42. In this
manner, the area 42 is used to inform the user of various
notifications. The area 42 may be provided on any screen other than
the home screen 40. A position where the area 42 is provided is not
limited to the top edge of the display 2A.
[0050] The home screen 40 illustrated in FIG. 4 is only an example,
and therefore the configuration of each of elements, the
arrangement of the elements, the number of home screens 40, the way
to perform each of operations on the home screen 40, and the like
do not have to be like the above mentioned explanation.
[0051] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the smartphone 1. The
smartphone 1 includes the touch screen display 2, the button 3, the
illumination sensor 4, the proximity sensor 5, a communication unit
6, the receiver 7, the microphone 8, a storage 9, a controller 10,
the cameras 12 and 13, the connector 14, an acceleration sensor 15,
a direction (orientation) sensor 16, and a gyroscope 17.
[0052] The touch screen display 2 includes, as explained above, the
display 2A and the touch screen 2B. The display 2A displays text,
images, symbols, graphics, or the like. The touch screen 2B detects
contact(s). The controller 10 detects a gesture performed for the
smartphone 1. Specifically, the controller 10 detects an operation
(a gesture) for the touch screen 2B in cooperation with the touch
screen 2B.
[0053] The button 3 is operated by the user. The button 3 includes
buttons 3A to 3F. The controller 10 detects an operation for the
button 3 in cooperation with the button 3. Examples of the
operations for the button 3 include, but are not limited to, a
click, a double click, a triple click, a push, and a
multi-push.
[0054] The buttons 3A to 3C are, for example, a home button, a back
button, or a menu button. The button 3D is, for example, a power
on/off button of the smartphone 1. The button 3D may function also
as a sleep/sleep release button. The buttons 3E and 3F are, for
example, volume buttons.
[0055] The illumination sensor 4 detects illumination of the
ambient light of the smartphone 1. The illumination indicates
intensity of light, lightness, or brightness. The illumination
sensor 4 is used, for example, to adjust the brightness of the
display 2A. The proximity sensor 5 detects the presence of a nearby
object without any physical contact. The proximity sensor 5 detects
the presence of the object based on a change of the magnetic field,
a change of the return time of the reflected ultrasonic wave, etc.
The proximity sensor 5 detects that, for example, the touch screen
display 2 is brought close to someone's face. The illumination
sensor 4 and the proximity sensor 5 may be configured as one
sensor. The illumination sensor 4 can be used as a proximity
sensor.
[0056] The communication unit 6 performs communication via radio
waves. A communication system supported by the communication unit 6
is wireless communication standard. The wireless communication,
standard includes, for example, a communication standard of cellar
phones such as 2G, 3G, and 4G. The communication standard of cellar
phones includes, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Wideband
Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), CDMA 2000, a Personal
Digital Cellular (PDC), a Global System for Mobile Communications
(GSM), and a Personal Handy-phone System (PHS). The wireless
communication standard further includes, for example, Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), IEEE 802.11,
Bluetooth, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), and Near Field
Communication (NFC). The communication unit 6 may support one or
more communication standards.
[0057] The receiver 7 is a sound output unit. The receiver 7
outputs a sound signal transmitted from the controller 10 as sound.
The receiver 7 is used, for example, to output voice of the other
party on the phone. The microphone 8 is a sound input unit. The
microphone 8 converts speech of the user or the like to a sound
signal and transmit the converted signal to the controller 10.
[0058] The storage 9 stores therein programs and data. The storage
9 is used also as a work area that temporarily stores a processing
result of the controller 10. The storage 9 may include any
non-transitory storage medium such as a semiconductor storage
medium and a magnetic storage medium. The storage 9 may include a
plurality type of storage mediums. The storage 9 may include a
combination of a portable storage medium such as a memory card, an
optical disc, or a magneto-optical disc with a reader of the
storage medium. The storage 9 may include a storage device used as
a temporary storage area such as Random Access Memory (RAM).
[0059] Programs stored in the storage 9 include applications
executed in the foreground or the background and a control program
for assisting operations of the applications. The application
causes the controller 10, for example, to display a screen on the
display 2A and perform a process according to a gesture detected
through the touch screen 2B. The control program is, for example,
an OS. The applications and the control program may be installed in
the storage 9 through communication by the communication unit 6 or
through a non-transitory storage medium.
[0060] The storage 9 stores therein, for example, a control program
9A, a mail application 9B, a browser application 9C, a contact
application 9D, contact data 9X, group data 9Y, and setting data
9Z. The mail application 9B provides an e-mail function for
composing, transmitting, receiving, and displaying e-mail, and the
like. The browser application 9C provides a WEB browsing function
for displaying WEB pages. The setting data 9Z includes information
related to various settings on the operations of the smartphone
1.
[0061] The control program 9A provides a function related to
various controls for operating the smartphone 1. The control
program 9A controls, for example, the communication unit 6, the
receiver 7, and the microphone 8 to make a phone call. The function
provided by the control program 9A includes functions for
performing various controls such as changing of information
displayed on the display 2A according to a gesture detected through
the touch screen 2B. The functions provided by the control program
9A can be used in combination with a function provided by the other
program such as the mail application 9B.
[0062] The contact application 9D provides a function for managing
various pieces of contact information stored in the contact data
9X, that is, provides functions related to, for example,
registration, edit, deletion, and display of contact information.
The contact application 9D also provides a function for displaying
a contact widget on the home screen. The widget is a screen that is
arranged on the home screen similarly to the icons. Contents to be
displayed on the contact widget are updated periodically or
according to a user's operation. The function of displaying the
contact widget on the home screen may be implemented by working
with the control program 9A.
[0063] The contact data 9X holds information used when, the user of
the smartphone 1 makes contact with other person or learns of other
person's situation. As the information for making contact with
other person, the contact data 9X holds, for example, a phone
number and an e-mail address of the person. As the information for
learning of other person's situation, the contact data 9X holds
account information used when the person posts various messages in
a communication site such as Social Network Service (SNS). The
contact data 9X corresponds to so-called address book data.
[0064] An example of the contact data 9X will be explained below
with reference to FIG. 6. The contact data 9X illustrated in FIG. 6
has items including ID, Family name, Given name, Image, Service
name, Service ID, Notifications, and Last use date/time. The
contact data 9X is configured to hold a plurality of combinations
of Service name, Service ID, Notifications, and Last use date/time
associated with one ID.
[0065] The item of ID holds identification numbers for identifying
persons. The item of Family name holds family names of persons. The
item of Given name holds given names of persons. The item of Image
holds information for specifying a profile image such as a face
photo or illustration of a person.
[0066] The item of Service name holds values indicating types of
communication services used by each person. Set in the item of
Service name are, for example, "Phone" indicating phone service,
"Email" indicating e-mail service, and values of "F-SNS", "T-SNS",
"D-SNS", and "M-SNS" indicating SNS run by different businesses.
The item of Service ID holds account IDs of persons in a
corresponding communication service.
[0067] The item of Notifications holds the number of events to be
notified to the user of the smartphone 1 among events performed by
a corresponding person in a corresponding communication service.
For example, when the corresponding communication service is the
phone service, the number of calls that have been transmitted from
a corresponding person to the user of the smartphone 1 but cannot
be responded by the user is set in the item of Notifications. When
the corresponding communication service is the e-mail service, the
number of unopened e-mails having been transmitted from a
corresponding person to the user of the smartphone 1 is set in the
item of Notifications.
[0068] When the corresponding communication service is SNS, the
number of messages that have been posted by a corresponding person
but are not read by the user of the smartphone 1 is set in the item
of Notifications. The message mentioned here may include a message
targeted to unspecified persons, a message targeted to the group
the user belongs to, and a message addressed to the user.
[0069] The item of Last use date/time holds the date and time when
the last event related to the user of the smartphone 1 is performed
among events performed by a corresponding person in the
corresponding communication service. For example, when the
corresponding communication service is the phone service, the date
and time of the last outgoing call transmitted from a corresponding
person to the user of the smartphone 1 is set in the item of Last
use date/time. When the corresponding communication service is the
e-mail service, the date and time of the last outgoing mail
transmitted from a corresponding person to the user of the
smartphone 1 is set in the item of Last use date/time.
[0070] When the corresponding communication service is SNS, the
date and time of the message last posted by the corresponding
person is set in the item of Last use date/time. The message
mentioned here may include a message targeted to unspecified
persons, a message targeted to the group the user belongs to, and a
message addressed to the user.
[0071] The contact data 9X may include various pieces of personal
information such as an address, a place of work, and a date of
birth in addition to the above information. The contact data 9X may
hold a plurality of pieces of information related to the same type
of communication service associated with one person such as his/her
home phone number, work phone number, and mobile phone number.
[0072] The group data 9Y holds information related to grouping of
persons registered in the contact data 9X. An example of the group
data 9Y will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. The group data
9Y illustrated in FIG. 7 has items including Group number, Group
name, Member number, and ID. The group data 9Y can hold a plurality
of combinations of Member number and ID associated with one Group
number.
[0073] The item of Group number holds identification numbers for
identifying groups. The item of Group name holds names of groups.
The item of Member number holds numbers indicating the display
order of members included in a group. The item of ID holds
identification numbers of members in the contact data 9X. A value
of the item of ID in the group data 9Y corresponds to a value of
the item of ID in the contact data 9X.
[0074] The controller 10 is a processing unit. Examples of the
processing units include, but are not limited to, a Central
Processing Unit (CPU), System-on-a-chip (SoC), a Micro Control Unit
(MCU), and a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The controller
10 integrally controls the operations of the smartphone 1 to
implement various functions.
[0075] Specifically, the controller 10 executes instructions
contained in the program stored in the storage 9 while referring to
the data stored in the storage 9 as necessary. The controller 10
controls a function unit according to the data and the instructions
to thereby implement the various functions. Examples of the
function units include, but are not limited to, the display 2A, the
communication unit 6, and the receiver 7. The controller 10 can
change the control of the function unit according to the detection
result of a detector. Examples of the detectors include, but are
not limited to, the touch screen 2B, the button 3, the illumination
sensor 4, the proximity sensor 5, the microphone 8, the camera 12,
the camera 13, the acceleration sensor 15, the direction sensor 16,
and the gyroscope 17.
[0076] The controller 10 executes, for example, the control program
9A to display the home screen on the display 2A. The controller 10
executes the contact application 9D to display the contact widget
on the home screen.
[0077] The camera 12 is an in-camera for photographing an object
facing the front face 1A. The camera 13 is an out-camera for
photographing an object facing the back face 1B.
[0078] The connector 14 is a terminal to which other device is
connected. The connector 14 may be a general-purpose terminal such
as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a High-Definition Multimedia
Interface (HDMI), Light Peak (Thunderbolt), and an
earphone/microphone connector. The connector 14 may be a dedicated
terminal such as a dock connector. Examples of the devices
connected to the connector 14 include, but are not limited to, an
external storage device, a speaker, and a communication device.
[0079] The acceleration sensor 15 detects a direction and a
magnitude of acceleration applied to the smartphone 1. The
direction sensor 16 detects a direction of geomagnetism. The
gyroscope 17 detects an angle and an angular velocity of the
smartphone 1. The detection results of the acceleration sensor 15,
the direction sensor 16, and the gyroscope 17 are used in
combination with each other in order to detect a position of the
smartphone 1 and a change of its attitude.
[0080] Part or all of the programs and the data stored in the
storage 9 in FIG. 5 may be downloaded from any other device through
communication by the communication unit 6. Part or all of the
programs and the data stored in the storage 9 in FIG. 5 may be
stored in the non-transitory storage medium that can be read by the
reader included in the storage 9. Part or all of the programs and
the data stored in the storage 9 in FIG. 5 may be stored in the
non-transitory storage medium that can be read by a reader
connected to the connector 14. Examples of the non-transitory,
storage mediums include, but are not limited to, an optical disc
such as CD, DVD, and Blu-ray, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic
storage medium, a memory card, and solid-state storage medium.
[0081] The configuration of the smartphone 1 illustrated in FIG. 5
is only an example, and therefore it can be modified as required
within a scope that does not depart from the gist of the present
invention. For example, the number and the type of the button 3 are
not limited to the example of FIG. 5. The smartphone 1 may be
provided with buttons of a numeric keypad layout or a QWERTY layout
and so on as buttons for operation of the screen instead of the
buttons 3A to 3C. The smartphone 1 may be provided with only one
button to operate the screen, or with no button. In the example of
FIG. 5, the smartphone 1 is provided with two cameras; however, the
smartphone 1 may be provided with only one camera or with no
camera. In the example of FIG. 5, the smartphone 1 is provided with
three types of sensors in order to detect its position and
attitude; however, the smartphone 1 does not have to be provided
with some of the sensors. Alternatively, the smartphone 1 may be
provided with any other type of sensor for detecting at least one
of the position and the attitude.
[0082] Functions provided by the contact application 9D will be
explained with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 14. The functions
provided by the contact application 9D include a function for
displaying the contact widget on the home screen 40 and a function
for updating the contact widget.
[0083] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contact
widget. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a contact widget 60 displays
information related to a person included in the contact data 9X.
The information displayed on the contact widget 60 includes
information related to communication services associated with the
person in the contact data 9X.
[0084] The contact widget 60 is arranged on the home screen 40,
similarly to the icons 50. In other words, when the power for the
smartphone 1 is turned on and the home screen 40 is displayed on
the display 2A, similarly to the icons 50, the contact widget 60
appears as part of the home screen 40 without any particular
operation performed by the user. When an application executed
through a tap on an icon 50 is ended and the home screen 40 is
again displayed on the display 2A, similarly to the icons 50, the
contact widget 60 appears as part of the home screen 40 without any
particular operation performed by the user.
[0085] In this way, the contact widget 60 is displayed as part of
the home screen 40. Therefore, the user can easily and quickly
refer to information displayed on the contact widget 60. Moreover,
as explained below, by easily and quickly performing an operation
on the contact widget 60, the user can make contact with a person
displayed on the contact widget 60 and can acquire information
related to the person.
[0086] The contact widget 60 includes a member list area 61, a
detailed information area 62, an update icon 68, and an edit icon
69. The member list area 61 displays information related to one of
the groups registered in the group data 9Y. Specifically, the
member list area 61 displays a group name and a member list. The
member list includes profile images and names of the members
included in a group, and use dates or use times of the
communication service last used by the members by a predetermined
number of members. The information included in the member list can
be obtained from the contact data 9X.
[0087] The detailed information area 62 displays detailed
information related to one person selected from among persons
included in the contact data 9X. The detailed information area 62
includes a profile image area 63, a name area 64, and an icon area
65. The profile image area 63 and the name area 64 display
information for specifying a selected person. Specifically, the
profile image area 63 displays the profile image of a selected
person. The name area 64 displays the name of a selected person.
The profile image and the name of the selected person can be
obtained from the contact data 9X.
[0088] The icon area 65 is an area where icons 66 indicating
communication services registered in the contact data 9X in
association with the selected person are arranged. Each of the
icons 66 is displayed using an image previously associated with a
corresponding communication service. When a value of the number of
notifications set in the contact data 9X in association with the
communication service corresponding to the icon 66 is greater than
0, the icon 66 is added with a numerical icon 66a indicating the
value of the number of notifications.
[0089] When the number of communication services registered in the
contact data 9X in association with the selected person is larger
than the number of icons 66 that can be displayed in the icon area
65, a page change icon 67 is displayed in the icon area 65 as
illustrated in FIG. 8. The page change icon 67 indicates the user
that there are icons 66 that cannot be displayed in the icon area
65. When a tap on the page change icon 67 is detected, the
smartphone 1 displays remaining icons 66 that cannot be displayed
in the icon area 65 in this area.
[0090] The communication services registered in the contact data 9X
in association with a selected person may be displayed in a form of
list, instead of an icon, using a character string such as a name.
Instead of displaying the number of notifications, a mode in which
a corresponding service is displayed may be changed according to
whether the number of notifications is 0.
[0091] When a tap on the update icon 68 is detected, the smartphone
1 updates the information displayed in the detailed information
area 62 to the latest information related to the selected person.
For example, if the number of unopened e-mails received from the
selected person is increased from 2 to 3, the smartphone 1 changes
the numerical icon 66a to be added to the icon 66 corresponding to
the e-mail service from "2" to "3". The smartphone 1 periodically
updates the numerical icon 66a added to each icon 66 according to
the latest status even if the tap on the update icon 6B is not
detected.
[0092] When detecting a tap on the edit icon 69, the smartphone 1
executes the process for updating the member list. The process for
updating the member list will be explained later.
[0093] In this way, the contact widget 60 includes the icons 66
corresponding to the communication services registered in the
contact data 9X in association with the selected person. Therefore,
the user looks at the contact widget 60 and can thereby easily
recognize which of the communication services the selected person
uses.
[0094] Added to the icon 66 is the numerical icon 66a indicating
the number of events to be notified to the user, of the events
performed by the selected person in the communication service
corresponding to the icon 66. Therefore, the user looks at the
contact widget 60 and can thereby easily recognize how many events
related to the selected person should be checked.
[0095] The contact widget 60 is also used for using communication
service. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of using
communication service through the contact widget. At Step S11 in
FIG. 9, the user taps the icon 66 corresponding to SNS called
"T-SNS" with the finger F1. When detecting the tap on the icon 66,
the smartphone 1 executes a function for using the communication
service corresponding to the tapped icon 66. In the example of FIG.
9, at Step S12, the smartphone 1 executes an application for
browsing posts on SNS called "T-SNS". The executed application
causes the controller 10 to execute a display process of a browsing
screen 70 for displaying messages posted by the person displayed in
the detailed information area 62 on the display 2A.
[0096] A gesture for using a communication service corresponding to
the icon 66 may be some other gestures, instead of the tap, such as
a double tap or a long tap. The case of tapping on the icon 66
corresponding to SNS is explained in FIG. 9; however, the icon 66
corresponding to the phone service and the icon 66 corresponding to
the e-mail service are also used for using communication
service.
[0097] When the icon 66 corresponding to the phone service is
tapped, the smartphone 1 executes, for example, transmission to the
person displayed in the detailed information area 62. If the
numerical icon 66a is added to the icon 66 corresponding to the
phone service, the smartphone 1 may prompt the user to check the
event to be notified instead of executing the transmission. To
prompt the user to check the event to be notified, for example, the
smartphone 1 can display a call history on the display 2A or can
execute an answering machine.
[0098] When the icon 66 corresponding to the e-mail service is
tapped, the smartphone 1 executes the mail application 9B so that,
for example, an e-mail compose screen for the person displayed in
the detailed information area 62 is displayed. If the numerical
icon 66a is added to the icon 66 corresponding to the e-mail
service, the smartphone 1 may prompt the user to check the event to
be notified instead of displaying the e-mail compose screen. To
prompt the user to check the event to be notified, the smartphone 1
can execute the mail application 9B so as to display, for example,
an email inbox.
[0099] In this way, when the icon 66 is tapped, the smartphone 1
executes the function for using the communication service
corresponding to the tapped icon 66. Moreover, the smartphone 1
executes the function so that the process related to the person
displayed in the detailed information area 62 is executed in a
manner suitable for using. Therefore, the user can easily and
quickly make contact with the person displayed in the detailed
information area 62 or collect information related to the
person.
[0100] The person displayed in the detailed information area 62 can
be changed. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to
change the person displayed in the detailed information area 62. At
Step S21 in FIG. 10, the user taps one person in the member list
displayed in the member list area 61 with the finger F1. When
detecting the tap on the one person in the member list, the
smartphone 1 updates the contact widget 60 so as to display the
tapped member in the detailed information area 62. In the example
of FIG. 10, at Step S22, the smartphone 1 updates the contact
widget 60 so that the information for the person named "Taro
Suzuki" who is the tapped member is displayed in the detailed
information area 62. This person uses only two communication
services, and so the number of icons 66 displayed in the icon area
65 is changed to two.
[0101] In the example of FIG. 10, it is controlled so that the
person displayed in the detailed information area 62 is not
displayed in the member list area 61. However, the person displayed
in the detailed information area 62 may be included in the member
list displayed in the member list area 61.
[0102] In this way, the smartphone 1 changes the person displayed
in the detailed information area 62 based on the operation on the
home screen. Therefore, the user can easily and quickly change the
person displayed in the detailed information area 62.
[0103] The member list displayed in the member list area 61 can be
scrolled. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of scrolling
the member list displayed in the member list area 61. At Step S31
in FIG. 11, the user flicks the finger Fl upward in the member list
area 61. When detecting the upward flick or downward flick in the
member list area 61, the smartphone scrolls the member list
displayed in the member list area 61 according to a direction of
the detected flick. In the example of FIG. 11, because the upward
flick is detected, at Step S32, the smartphone 1 scrolls the member
list upward. The upward scroll of the member list allows the other
members belonging to the same group to appear in the member list
area 61.
[0104] The group displayed in the member list area 61 can be
changed. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to
change the group displayed in the member list area 61. At Step S41
in FIG. 12, the user flicks the finger F1 rightward in the member
list area 61. When detecting the rightward flick or leftward flick
in the member list area 61, the smartphone changes the group
displayed in the member list area 61 according to a direction of
the detected flick. In the example of FIG. 12, because the
rightward flick is detected, at Step S42, the smartphone 1 changes
the group displayed in the member list area 61 from a group named
"Friends" to a group named "Business". The change of the displayed
group allows members belonging to other group to appear in the
member list area 61.
[0105] In the examples in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, when the flick is
detected in the member list area 61, the member list is scrolled or
the group is changed to another; however, the same process may be
performed when a swipe is detected in the member list area 61. In
the examples in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the scrolling of the member
list is assigned to the vertical flick and the changing of the
group is assigned to the horizontal flick; however, a relation
between a direction of a gesture and a process to be assigned
thereto may be changed according to a direction in which the
members included in the member list are laid out.
[0106] In this way, the smartphone 1 changes the member list
displayed in the member list area 61 based on the operation on the
home screen. Therefore, the user can display an arbitrary person on
the contact widget 60.
[0107] Moreover, the user can execute the edit function for each of
the contact data 9X and the group data 9Y from the contact widget
60. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation
for editing the group data 9Y. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an
example of an operation for editing the contact data 9X.
[0108] At Step S51 in FIG. 13, the user taps the edit icon 69 with
the finger F1. When detecting the tap on the edit icon 69, at Step
S52, the smartphone 1 displays a group edit screen 80 on the
display 2A. The group edit screen 80 includes a header 81, a member
list area 82, and a footer 83.
[0109] The header 81 includes an Add button 81a. When detecting a
tap on the Add button 81a, the smartphone 1 displays a screen for
selecting an arbitrary person included in the contact data 9X on
the display 2A. When the person is selected on the screen, the
smartphone 1 updates the group data 9Y so that the selected person
is included in the group displayed in the group edit screen 80.
However, one person is prohibited from belonging to the same group
in a duplicated manner.
[0110] The member list area 82 displays a profile image 82a, a name
82b, an icon 82c indicating a communication service registered in
the contact data 9X in association with a person, and a delete icon
82d for each member belonging to a group. When detecting a tap on
the delete icon 82d, the smartphone 1 updates the group data 91 so
that the person corresponding to the tapped delete icon 82d is not
included in the group displayed on the group edit screen 80. In
addition, the smartphone 1 deletes the member corresponding to the
tapped delete icon 82d from the member list area 82.
[0111] The footer 83 displays a group name currently displayed, a
group name displayed when a rightward flick is detected, and a
group name displayed when a leftward flick is detected.
[0112] When detecting a flick gesture or a swipe gesture in the
vertical direction in the member list area 82, the smartphone 1
scrolls the member list displayed in the member list area 82
according to the direction of the detected gesture. When a
predetermined operation is detected, the smartphone may change the
order of the members displayed in the member list area 82 and
reflect the change of the order in the group data 9Y.
[0113] When detecting the tap in the member list area 82, the
smartphone 1 displays a contact-information edit screen 90 on the
display 2A. At Step S61 in FIG. 14, the user taps one of the
members displayed in the member list area 82 with the finger F1. In
this case, at Step S62, the smartphone 1 displays the
contact-information edit screen 90 to edit information related to
the tapped member. The contact-information edit screen 90 includes
a header 91, a profile area 92, and a service list area 93.
[0114] The profile area 92 includes a profile-image display item
92a, a family-name input item 92b, and a given-name input item 92c.
The profile-image display item 92a displays a profile image of the
person corresponding to the contact-information edit screen 90.
When detecting a tap on the profile-image display item 92a, the
smartphone 1 displays a screen for selecting a profile image on the
display 2A. The family-name input item 92b is a field for inputting
a person's family name. The given-name input item 92c is a field
for inputting a person's given name.
[0115] The service list area 93 displays a service selection item
93a and a service-ID input item 93b for each service. The service
selection item 93a is an item for selecting a communication service
used by the person from previously registered communication
services. The service-ID input item 93b is a field for inputting
person's Account ID in a communication service selected in the
corresponding service selection item 93a. The total number of
services included in the list displayed in the service list area 93
is increased or decreased according to a user's operation.
[0116] The smartphone 1 updates the information for the person
registered in the contact data 9X based on the information input in
the contact-information edit screen 90.
[0117] A procedure for displaying and updating the contact widget
60 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart
illustrated in FIG. 15. The procedure illustrated in FIG. 15 is
implemented by the controller 10 executing the contact application
9D. The procedure in FIG. 15 is executed when the home screen 40 is
displayed on the display 2A. The controller 10 may execute other
procedure for controlling the home screen 40 in parallel with the
procedure illustrated in FIG. 15.
[0118] At Step S101, the controller 10 initializes a timer. At Step
S102, the controller 10 acquires the number of notifications for
each combination of the person registered in the contact data 9X
with the communication service, and sets the acquired number of
notifications in the contact data 9X. For example, the number of
notifications for the phone service is acquired from a call history
stored in the storage 9 or a provider's server. The number of
notifications for the e-mail service is acquired from an inbox
stored in the storage 9 or a provider's server. The number of
notifications for SNS is acquired from a posting history stored in
a provider's server or from a cache of a posting history stored in
the storage 9.
[0119] Subsequently, at Step S103, the controller 10 displays the
contact widget 60 on the home screen 40 displayed on the display
2A. Then at Step S104, the controller 10 displays the member list
in the member list area 61. The member list displayed in the member
list area 61 is, for example, a member list last displayed in the
member list area 61. That is, each time the change operation is
performed, the controller 10 may store a member list to be newly
displayed in the member list area 61 in the storage 9, and, at Step
S104, the controller 10 may display the member list stored in the
storage 9 in the member list area 61.
[0120] At Step S105, the controller 10 selects a person to be
displayed in the detailed information area 62 from among the
persons registered in the contact data 9X. The person to be
displayed is, for example, the person last displayed in the
detailed information area 62. That is, the controller 10 may store
a person to be newly displayed in the detailed information area 62
in the storage 9 each time the change operation is performed, and,
at Step. S105, the controller 10 may select the person stored in
the storage 9 as a person to be displayed.
[0121] Alternatively, the controller 10 may select the person most
notable for the user as a person to be displayed in the detailed
information area 62. For example, the controller 10 may select a
person with the largest total value of values set in the item of
Notifications in the contact data 9X as a person to be displayed.
The controller 10 may also select a person with the latest value
set in the item of Last use data/time in the contact data 9X as a
person to be displayed.
[0122] At Step S106, the controller 10 acquires information for the
selected person from the contact data 9X, and displays the acquired
information in the detailed information area 62. If the number of
notifications for the communication service registered in the
contact data 9X associated with the selected person is greater than
0, the controller 10 adds the numerical icon 66a indicating the
number of notifications to the icon 66 corresponding to the
communication service.
[0123] Subsequently, at Step S107, the controller 10 determines
whether a gesture on the contact widget 60 has been detected
through the touch screen 2B. When the gesture on the contact widget
60 has been detected (Yes at Step S107), then at Step S108, the
controller 10 executes the process according to the detected
gesture. The controller 10 executes, for example, the process
represented in any of FIG. 8 to FIG. 13 according to the detected
gesture. When the gesture on the contact widget 60 has not been
detected (No at Step S107), then Step S108 is omitted.
[0124] Subsequently, at Step S109, the controller 10 determines
whether a predetermined time has elapsed based on the timer. When
the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes at Step S109), then at Step
S110, the controller 10 resets the timer. At Step S111, similarly
to Step S102, the controller 10 acquires the number of
notifications for each combination of the person registered in the
contact data 9X with the communication service, and sets the
acquired number of notifications in the contact data 9X. At Step
S112, the controller 10 updates the numerical icon 66a to be added
to the icon 66 based on the number of notifications set in the
contact data 9X. When the predetermined time has not elapsed (No at
Step S109), then Step S110 to Step S112 are omitted.
[0125] Subsequently, at Step S113, the controller 10 determines
whether the process should be completed. For example, when a
predetermined operation to delete the contact widget 60 is
performed on the home screen 40 or when a predetermined operation
to turn off the power for the smartphone 1 or to restart the
smartphone 1 is performed, the controller 10 determines that the
process should be completed. When it is determined that the process
should be completed (Yes at Step S113), the controller 10 ends the
procedure illustrated in FIG. 15. When it is determined that the
process should not be completed (No at Step S113), the controller
10 re-executes Step S107 and the subsequent steps.
[0126] The embodiment disclosed in the present application can be
modified without departing the gist and the scope of the invention.
Moreover, the embodiments and their modifications disclosed in the
present application can be combined with each other if necessary.
For example, the embodiment may be modified as follows.
[0127] For example, the programs illustrated in FIG. 5 may be
divided into a plurality of modules, or may be combined with any
other program.
[0128] In the embodiment, the smartphone has been explained as an
example of the device provided with the touch screen display;
however, the device according to the appended claims is not limited
to the smartphone. The device according to the appended claims may
be a mobile electronic device other than the smartphone. Examples
of the mobile electronic devices include, but are not limited to,
mobile phones, tablets, mobile personal computers, digital cameras,
media players, electronic book readers, navigators, and gaming
devices. The device according to the appended claims may be a
stationary-type electronic device. Examples of the stationary-type
electronic devices include, but are not limited to, desktop
personal computers, automatic teller machines (ATM), and television
receivers.
[0129] Although the art of appended claims has been described with
respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear
disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are
to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative
constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly
fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
* * * * *